What is the K to 12 Program?

The K to 12 Program covers 13 years of basic education with the following key stages:

Kindergarten to Grade 3

Grades 4 to 6

Grades 7 to 10 (Junior High School)

Grades 11 and 12 (Senior High School)

Why are we now implementing 12 years of basic education?

The Philippines is the last country in Asia and one of only three countries worldwide with a 10-year pre-university cycle (Angola and Djibouti are the other two).

A 12-year program is found to be the best period for learning under basic education. It is also the recognized standard for students and professionals globally.

What has been done to get ready for K to 12? Are we really ready for K to 12?

SY 2011-2012: Universal Kindergarten implementation begins

SY 2012-2013: Enhanced curriculum for Grades 1-7 implemented

2013: K to 12 enacted into Law

2014: Curriculum for Grades 11-12 finished

This 2015, we are getting ready for the implementation of Senior High School (SHS) in SY 2016-2017.

We are on the fifth year of the implementation of the K to 12 Program. Our last mile is the Senior High School. All 221 divisions of the Department of Education (DepEd) have finished planning and have figures on enrolment a year in advance. These plans were reviewed by a separate team and finalized upon consultation with other stakeholders.

• Classrooms: DepEd has built 66,813 classrooms from 2010 to 2013. There are 33,608 classrooms completed and undergoing construction in 2014. As of DepEd is planning to establish 5,899 Senior High Schools nationwide. As of April 30, 2015, DepEd has issued provisional permits to 1,866 private schools set to offer Senior High School in 2016.

• Teachers: From 2010-2014, DepEd has filled 128,105 new teacher items. DepEd is targeting two kinds of teachers: those who will teach the core subjects, and those who will teach the specialized subjects per track. DepEd will hire 37,000 teachers for Senior High School for 2016 alone.

• Textbooks: Learning materials are being produced for elementary to junior high while textbooks for Senior High School (which has specialized subjects) are being bid out.

• Curriculum: The K to 12 curriculum is standards- and competence-based. It is inclusive and built around the needs of the learners and the community. The curriculum is done and is available on the DepEd website. It is the first time in history that the entire curriculum is digitized and made accessible to the public.

Private SHS: There are 2,199 private schools cleared to offer Senior High School and over 200 more being processed.

How will K to 12 affect the college curriculum?

The College General Education curriculum will have fewer units. Subjects that have been taken up in Basic Education will be removed from the College General Education curriculum.

Details of the new GE Curriculum may be found in CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2013.

I’ve been hearing that a lot of people have not been consulted regarding K to 12. Is this true?

DepEd has always been transparent in the planning and implementation of K to 12. There have been regular consultations with various sectors since 2010, before the law was passed, during the crafting of the IRR, and during implementations. DepEd representatives have also attended various fora and conferences, including legislative inquiries, regarding K to12. We are open to criticisms and suggestions regarding this.

How can I help improve basic education?

Private partners can donate through the Adopt-A-School program. A 150% tax incentive will be provided for every contribution.

Help spread awareness and information on the K to 12 Program.

Voucher Program

These Frequently Asked Questions have been updated as of January 29, 2016.

General Questions

What is the SHS Voucher Program?

• The Voucher Program is intended for Grade 10 (Junior High School) completers who wish to pursue Senior High School (SHS) education in non-DepEd Schools such as Private High Schools, Colleges, and Universities; Local Universities and Colleges (LUC); State Universities and Colleges (SUCs); and Technical and Vocational Schools, starting SY 2016-2017.

• Through the Voucher Program, students and their families are able to exercise greater choice in deciding the Senior High School program that is most relevant to their needs and career goals.

• The voucher enables students to claim a “discount” or a deduction from the cost of tuition and other fees charged by a non-DepEd SHS where he or she will enroll. The voucher subsidy is not given to students directly in the form of cash but will be disbursed by DepEd to the non-DepEd SHS where he or she enrolls.

Who are the recipients of the SHS Voucher Program?

• Public Grade 10 completers and Grade 10 completers who are Education Service Contracting (ESC) grantees in private JHS are automatically qualified voucher recipients and need not apply for an SHS Voucher.

• Automatically qualified voucher recipients:

  • Public JHS students – will receive 100% of the voucher amount

  • ESC JHS students – will receive 80% of the voucher amount

  • Note: These students have been pre-identified through the Learner Information System (LIS), which is linked to the SHS Voucher Management System. Therefore, these students need not present a voucher certificate when they enroll in a non-DepEd SHS. Instead, their names will be automatically recognized by the SHS Voucher Management System as voucher recipients. The SHS Voucher Management System is an online system accessed only by DepEd and non-DepEd SHS to facilitate enrollment, billing and submission of reports pertaining to the Voucher Program.

• May apply, however, applications are subject to review and approval:

  • Grade 10 completers who are not ESC grantees from private JHS

  • *Proceed to ovap.deped.gov.ph for online application. The deadline for online application and submission of documents is on 15 February 2016.

  • **If qualified, students will receive 80% of the voucher amount.

    • ***Students will be notified of their eligibility prior to completing Grade 10. They need to present their Qualified Voucher Recipient (QVR) certificate when they enroll in the non-DepEd SHS of their choice.

• Note: Regardless of whether he or she is a public or private Grade 10 completer, a qualified voucher recipient that enrolls in an LUC/SUC for SHS will receive 50% of the voucher amount.

How much is the value of the voucher?

• The actual amount of the vouchers will depend on the location of the SHS where the student will enroll.

  • Voucher recipients from public/DepEd JHS who will enroll in a non-DepEd SHS located in the National Capital Region (NCR) will receive a full voucher amount of PhP 22,500. Voucher recipients from private JHS will receive 80% or PhP 18,000 while those enrolling in SUCs/LUCs, regardless if they completed JHS in a public or private school, will receive 50% or PhP 11,250.

  • Voucher recipients from public/DepEd JHS who will enroll in a non-DepEd SHS located in Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs) that are not in NCR will receive a full voucher amount of PhP 20,000. These cities include Angeles, Bacolod, Baguio, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu City, Davao City, General Santos, Iligan, Iloilo City, Lapu-lapu, Lucena, Mandaue, Olongapo, Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, and Zamboanga City. The list of HUCs is based on the 2010 list published by the Philippine Statistics Authority, which is the latest available data on such. Voucher recipients from private JHS will receive 80% or PhP 16,000 while those enrolling in SUCs/LUCs, regardless if they completed JHS in a public or private school, will receive 50% or PhP 10,000.

  • Voucher recipients from public/DepEd JHSwho will enroll in a non-DepEd SHS located incities and municipalities outside NCR and that are not HUCs will receive a full voucher amount of PhP 17,500. Voucher recipients from private JHS will receive 80% or PhP 14,000 while those enrolling in SUCs/LUCs, regardless if they completed JHS in a public or private school, will receive 50% or PhP 8,750.

  • Note: Cash is NOT given to the student directly instead the subsidy is remitted to the Senior High School where he/she will enroll.

How did the government come up with the SHS voucher amount?

• The SHS voucher amount is aligned to the cost of public provision or how much it would cost government to support the schooling of a public SHS student. This means that whether a student decides to enroll in a public/DepEd SHS or a non-DepEd SHS, the government’s investment in his or her education is the same.

• The voucher amount varies for a Grade 10 completer in a public JHS (100% voucher value) and from a private JHS (80% voucher value), since students in private schools are paying students and have some capacity to pay.

• The voucher amounts also vary based on location of the SHS taking into consideration the different cost of education in the locality. Despite the differences in amounts of the voucher tiers, the average voucher subsidy is PhP18,300 per student, which is aligned with the cost of public provision.

How can I apply for the voucher program?

• Reminder: Only Grade 10 completers from private JHS who are non-ESC grantees need to apply in order to avail the SHS Voucher Program. Note that application does not translate to automatic approval. Applications will be subject to a review and approval process. The steps are:

  • Fill out and download the forms and confirmation slip from Online Voucher Application Portal (OVAP): http://ovap.deped.gov.ph.

  • Submit the filled out form, confirmation slip, and supporting documents to PEAC National Secretariat before February. 12, 2016 for online application.

  • Applicants will be notified of the results. The list of Qualified Voucher Recipients (QVR) will be posted on OVAP.

  • For eligible students, download and print your QVR certificates from the OVAP to be presented upon your enrollment.

  • Results will be released on March 2016.

What are the documentary requirements that need to be submitted along with the accomplished application form?

• 2 copies 2x2 ID photo

• Certification of Financial Assistance from the JHS (if applicable, meaning if the student already receives financial support for his schooling under a scholarship program)

• PSA Certified Birth Certificate

• Photocopy of latest Grade 10 report card

• Certificate of Employment (if parent/guardian is employed)

• Latest Income Tax Return of parents/legal guardian or Certificate of Tax Exemption or Municipal Certification of Unemployment

For Students and Parents

Will the voucher amount be the same or not if the student transfers from a private SHS provider in NCR to a private SHS provider outside NCR and vice versa?

• Transfer from one voucher tier location to another is allowed, but the voucher amount to be received by the voucher program beneficiary in the accepting school shall be the voucher amount of the accepting school or the voucher amount from the releasing school, whichever is lower.

• Example 1: A Grade 11 voucher student enrolled in a non-DepEd SHS in NCR decides to transfer to a non-DepEd SHS in Rizal. The student will receive a voucher subsidy amounting to PhP17,500 in Grade 12 since he is now enrolled in a school that is not in NCR and that is not in an HUC.

• Example 2: A Grade 11 voucher student enrolled in a non-DepEd SHS in Cebu City decides to transfer to a non-DepEd SHS in Makati City. The student will receive a voucher subsidy amounting to PhP20,000 in Grade 12, even if he is now enrolled in a school that is in NCR because since it is DepEd policy that the voucher amount can only be equal to or lower than the subsidy he receives from the originating school for a transferring student.

Is there a grade requirement for a student to be able to be qualified for the Voucher Program?

• There is no grade requirement for a student to be able to qualify for the SHS Voucher Program. However, a Grade 10 completer who wishes to enroll in a private school would need to comply with the school's admission requirements like any other applicant. If a student applicant does not meet grade requirements, for example, the private school may not grant him/her admission. In this case, the student can opt to apply in other SHS provider where he/she will qualify, or he/she can decide to enroll in a DepEd SHS instead.

What if the voucher program beneficiary wasn't able to enroll in School Year 2016-2017? Will she/he still be able to avail of the voucher when she/he goes back to school the following year?

• The voucher must be used in the school year immediately following the year of JHS completion. A voucher program beneficiary (VPB) may only be able to avail of the voucher subsidy for two (2) successive years.

• A VPB who passed Grade 11 but was not able to enroll the next school year because of medical reasons will still be able to avail the Voucher Program, provided that the medical period is not more than one school year.

• What are the grounds for disqualification from the SHS Voucher Program?
  A VPB shall be disqualified from further participation in the SHS Voucher Program for any of the following reasons:

  • VPB drops out in the middle of the school year

  • VPB does not re-enroll the following school year

  • VPB is retained in the same grade level

  • VPB transfers to another SHS provider within the school year

  • VPB transfers to a DepEd SHS provider

Is it true that after the early registration, I can no longer apply/avail the Voucher Program?

• No. Public JHS and ESC grantees are automatically qualified for the Voucher Program, while private Grade 10 non-ESC grantees need to apply. The deadline for application is January 15, 2016 for manual application and February 12, 2016 for online application.

• The early registration for Senior High School was conducted to determine the preference of enrollees as regards the school and tracks they intend to take in the coming school year. These preferences are not final and may be different from the school or track they will actual enroll in during the opening of classes in June 2016.

After early registration, can I still select another school and/or course preference?

• Yes, your child can still select another school and track of his/her preference come enrollment. DepEd conducted the early registration to determine the preference of enrollees as regards the school and tracks they intend to take in the coming school year. This is to help schools refine their plans, if needed, in preparation for the coming school year.

Does the voucher amount cover other fees (registration, books, etc.)?

• The voucher amount covers the tuition and other school fees. Should the total school fees exceed the voucher amount, the beneficiary is expected to shoulder the top-up.

What is a top-up?

• It is the difference between total school fees and the voucher amount applicable to the student.

Can the voucher be transferred to another student?

• No. The voucher is not a legal tender and cannot be transferred from one student to another.

Will the voucher amount be given to parents of the beneficiaries? Is the SHS Voucher Program same as Pantawid Pamilya?

• No. The voucher amounts will be released by DepEd directly to the non-DepEd SHS. The SHS Voucher subsidy is different from the subsidy provided under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

As to the documentary requirements, is it acceptable to submit National Statistics Office (NSO) Birth Certificate instead of the required Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Certified Birth Certificate?

• Yes.

Can a student with no Learner Reference Number (LRN) avail the Voucher Program?

• All public and private Grade 10 students of School Year 2015-2016 (who are expected to proceed to SHS in June 2016) are registered in the Learner Information System (LIS) and are assigned a Learner Reference Number (LRN). Grade 10 ESC grantees in private JHS also have unique student numbers and are registered in the ESC Information Management System, which is linked to the DepEd LIS.

• A student who has graduated from secondary school prior to March 2015 and who was not assigned a Learner Reference Number while he/she was a student can still opt to enroll in SHS (although he/she is not required to do so). This student, however, is not eligible to participate in the SHS Voucher Program. He/she may opt to enroll in a DepEd SHS, which does not charge tuition fees.

Reference: http://www.deped.gov.ph/k-to-12/faq